A Word from Jeff on Adversity

MOVING PAST FEAR

My mind will often recount many moments in my life that have defined the path that I'm on today. It's almost a mental highlight reel of all the moments and decisions that have impacted me both physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. While I would love to say that most of my mind focuses on happy nostalgic memories, I find that my mind gravitates to the moments of adversity, misfortunes, and feelings of defeat the most often. It's those thoughts that often affect the decisions that I make and the belief that I have in myself.

I doubt that I'm the only person who feels this way. Perhaps you're also a person who finds themselves reliving painful memories, and all the frustrations life has presented to you. Maybe the reason you doubt in yourself is all the times you failed or have been hurt, and the feeling of fear becomes inescapable. How is it that some people can easily overcome adversity and defeat, while others are overwhelmed with negative emotions and thoughts?

Getting passed adversity will require you to change your personal beliefs about the challenges that you’re presented with and the fear that you feel inside.

Always Cup Half Full

Gandhi said it best: "Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny."

Your mindset can be a solution, or it can be a poison. Either way, your perspective will drive the narrative of how you escape the situation that you're in. Gandhi understood that what you manifest in the world will be your existence.

Think of all the stories you've read and all of the movies you've watched throughout your lifetime. How many of those stories revolved around a hero (or heroine) conquering a challenge. Likely all of them.

From the dawn of time, storytelling has recounted stories of legendary heroes who overcame adversity and rose to the occasion to conquer all odds. In each of those stories (be it fiction or non-fiction), the protagonist must muster the courage to overcome their challenge first before they physically attempt to. Once they decided how they were going to respond to their predicament, that's when their faith is tested.

Always Have Faith

Having Faith I have this shirt I purchased a few years ago that says, "Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure." When you have fear, it will immobilize you. You've already convinced yourself that there's a chance to fail and, therefore, will have doubts about your resolve.

I once heard a pastor say that "...having faith is knowing that you've already succeeded." From a non-religious perspective, having faith means that your desire to overcome the obstacle is greater than the fear itself, and in time, you'll conquer your adversity.

Walk as though, what you want is already in your hands.

Rise from Failure

My business has almost failed on multiple occasions, some of those because of the vindictiveness of old business partners. There are no guarantees that your business or ideas will succeed, but you can learn from the lessons along the way to do better than before. Just because you might fail or have failed does not mean you're doomed to failure.

Every time I found myself scraping by, I'd have solace in the fact that I'd been there before, and I'd use all the experiences I'd learn along the way to do better than the last time. Remember, people can take away the physical embodiment of your business, your possessions, or your capital, but they can't take your pride or break your resolve and spirit.

Trials will occur in life; running a business is not a race, it's a marathon. Adversity can be the most important lesson you'll learn in life both personally and professionally, but anything is possible if you are willing to persevere.